Living By Your Compass

So many factors in our lives are beyond our control. The only thing we are ever really in control of is our focus: what we prioritize and set our hearts on. I would go as far to say that often, failure is the result of a loss of focus. So, ask yourself: what are you focused on and is it serving you?

You have the ability to magnify anything you choose to magnify. What you magnify you get more of, or at least that is how it seems. If you magnify what ifs and focus on what you have lost, you give room to destructive thoughts. Because you will find what you are looking for. Focus on what can go wrong and you end up with exactly that: the self-fulfilling prophecy.

I am not saying that everything that goes wrong is because of a negative mindset, because there are so many things we cannot control. But life is not what happens to you, it is how you react to it. Feeding your problems with energy will only make them grow. Instead, align your heart with whatever is important. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Your energy goes and flows to wherever you point your focus. Therefore, focus needs to come from the heart. The belief that drives behavior decides if it is going to stay because you act upon your attitude. However, it doesn’t start on the inside so you do not have to accept your default attitude towards anything. We choose our focus and can start with our actions: forming new habits, planning out our time and shifting our direction. Only if you steer towards another direction, does the road change too.

If you are not happy with where your energy is flowing, fix your focus. Awareness is the first step that leads to focus, the next step is change. Unfortunately, we are so used to hiding from the inconvenience of change and blame society, work and money for what we prioritize. Or we hide behind low expectations. Because if you don’t expect anything, you can’t be disappointed right? The reality is that no one else but you determine what you align your heart to. We cannot make anything or anyone else responsible for that.

To the inexperienced focus is difficult. Especially because awareness is ever wandering in our minds. If you want to improve your focus you need to practice it. Because whatever you practice, you become good at. Again, that goes both ways. You can become a star in stressing out, in forgetting yourself or in disappointment. Life is a manifestation of where you point your compass to. You cannot control what the path or destination looks like. You can only choose your direction.